


Steven

by E350tb



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon, Steven's Birthday, Toddler Steven Universe, Trans Male Character, Trans Steven, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:13:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25936474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E350tb/pseuds/E350tb
Summary: Sadie has a question for Greg.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 97





	Steven

**Author's Note:**

> A quick story for Steven's birthday!

** Steven **

Steven had had birthday parties before, but this one felt that little bit more special to Greg. After all, it was the first one he was likely to remember.

It was hard to believe his boy was three now. It seemed like just yesterday that he’d held his baby in his arms (after the gems had kidnapped him), unsure as to whether he was human or gem or something else, but uncaring, because he was his son and that was all that mattered.

The van was hardly a place for a party, so they’d gone to Barb’s place; ‘they’ being Greg and Steven, as the gems were on mission. It wasn’t much, just him, Vidalia, Yellowtail, Barb and their kids, but it was plenty as far as Greg was concerned. They had a cake (although the birthday boy would settle with a little cupcake, and Greg had to do most of the work blowing out the candles). Steven was now bouncing on his knee watching Thompson the Tender Engine on the TV as the adults talked.

“You can see the hand pushing that model along,” mused Vidalia.

“Huh.” Greg blinked. “Oh yeah, you can!”

The door opened, and Sadie toddled in (how old was she now? Six or seven? Geez, time flew.) She sat down next to the couch and looked up.

“Kevin from school says Steven’s a girl,” she said bluntly.

Barb snorted.

“Didn’t you say he smells like farts?” she asked.

Sadie nodded.

“He does,” she said. “But Kevin’s mommy said that Mr. Greg’s bein’ a… I don’t ‘member the word.”

Greg pursed his lips, but Vidalia laughed out loud.

“Watch out, Greg, the rich hate you,” she said, elbowing him. “You’re never getting invited to the cotillion now!”

“Well, I’ve always tried to present myself as a dangerous radical!”

“High society will fear you, soon as you learn how to work that van,” chuckled Vidalia. “You’ve asked me to change the oil, what, five times?”

“Three at most.”

Yellowtail mumbled.

“Okay, probably four!”

“Why does Kevin think Steven’s a girl?” asked Sadie. “He’s a boy, like Sour Cream, right?”

“This little guy?” Greg bounced him. “Man as they come!”

He sat back.

“You see, before he was born…”

“Aw great, here comes ‘storytime with Greg,” muttered Barb.

Sadie, missing the sarcasm, clapped and giggled.

“...before he was born,” continued Greg, “Rose and I kept asking Garnet whether he was gonna be a boy or a girl or both or neither. And she didn’t know, so we planned for both - we had a tape for Steven if he was a boy and Nora if he was a girl.”

“Where are those tapes, anyway?” asked Vidalia.

Greg shrugged. “Rose lost ‘em, I think.”

He shook his head and carried on.

“Anyway, two weeks before he was due, Garnet bursts into the van, puts both hands on my shoulders and just says; ‘Steven. It’s Steven.’ And then she ran out. I honestly thought she was gonna punch me or throw me into the sun or something.”

“Could Garnet throw me inta the sun?” asked Sadie.

“...maybe when you’re older,” replied Barb.

“But the thing is, when Steven was born,” continued Greg, “He looked… I guess I thought he looked like a Nora. And I thought maybe Garnet was wrong. But she kept insisting; ‘He’s Steven, That’s what he wants to be.’”

“Is this before or after they kidnapped him?” asked Vidalia.

“After, mostly,” replied Greg. “But she was right. When we started teaching him to walk and talk, he’d always respond to Steven and never to Nora. So I guess Stu-ball here decided he was, well, a Stu-ball. Not a… uh… Nor-ball.”

“Good call,” muttered Barb.

“But Kevin’s mommy says he has girl parts,” said Sadie.

Greg nodded.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a girl,” he replied. “I mean, if you wanted to be a boy-”

“But I don’t.”

“...yeah, but if you wanted to…”

“But I don’t.”

Greg chuckled.

“Okay, let’s say if mommy wanted to be a boy,” he said. “Would it be fair if someone said she couldn’t because she doesn’t have the right bits?”

“No, n’ mommy would punch ‘em,” said Sadie. “Right in their faces.”

“Darn right I would,” chuckled Barb, ruffling Sadie’s hair.

“So basically, it doesn’t matter what anyone else says,” said Greg. “Steven’s a boy because he wants to be. It’s nobody’s business but his own; not mine, not Kevin’s, definitely not his mom’s. And maybe one day he will want to be a Nora. Or maybe he won’t want to be a Steven or a Nora. Whatever he picks, I’ll be right there behind him.”

He bounced Steven again. He looked up, a little perturbed - obviously he wanted to watch his train show undisturbed.

Sadie walked over, grabbing his hand.

“Don’t worry Steven,” she said. “I’m gonna sock Kevin if he says anything mean ‘bout you.”

She turned and bounced off to the other room.

“Just make sure the teachers don’t see it!” called Barb. “And try not to leave any bruises, they’ll notice!”

The door shut behind her, and Barb turned to Greg.

“How does that snotty rich bi… lady,” she said, changing her words so as not to hurt Steven’s little ears, “even know about that?”

“My fault, I think,” replied Greg. “I got talking to a store clerk at the clothing store when I was looking for one of his birthday presents, and she must’ve been listening in. Her son’s trans too, so it turned into a conversation; you know how it is.”

“Oh, was that Martha?” asked Barb. “I see her on my mail run sometimes. Nice woman, kid’s a bit shy.”

“Yeah, I think that was her name.”

Vidalia raised an eyebrow.

“So you got him, what, shoes?” she asked. “Not much of a birthday present…”

Yellowtail mumbled in agreement.

“Oh, there’s this shirt he keeps reaching for every time we go past,” replied Greg. “It’s pink with a little yellow star, a bit like my old black shirt…”


End file.
